Topic Tuesday: Recovery

“Power” (By: Cassie Broll)

“Recover: to find or regain possession of something.”

From the time we are very young, we are told that food gives us power. If we eat good, healthy food, our bodies will grow big and strong. Food gives our body power to get through our daily activities. It’s a basic concept that I understood very well. But during my struggle with anorexia, food became a different kind of power. My food intake was the only thing it seemed I had any control over in my hectic life. It gave me this sense of power and control over the overwhelming chaos. After a while though, my eating disorder started impacting my friends, family, and my health. I tried to stop but couldn’t. The thing that once gave me a sense of power and control now controlled me. That’s when I knew I needed to seek help.

To me, the recovery process is ultimately about getting your power back. Too often we give our power away. How often have we felt deflated after looking at our reflection in a mirror? Or hearing a hurtful comment? We shouldn’t give our power away to mirrors, food, or people who make us feel this way. The recovery process can be long and challenging. During recovery, it is so easy to feel tired, hopeless, and powerless. Our power doesn’t come flooding back to us in one quick moment. It’s the little moments, the seemingly tiny victories that return our power to us over time. So the next time you see your reflection and think a negative thought, replace it with a positive one. The next time you feel like breaking down over the thought of eating a meal, push through. Remember, in every single moment, we have the ability to reclaim a bit of yourself. It’s up to us to decide whether we give our power away to someone or something, or choose take it back.”

About the Author

Cassie Broll is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health program at Lipscomb University, as well as a proud anorexia survivor. She and her best friend/husband moved to Tennessee from Minnesota 3 years ago, and are loving everything the South has to offer (Cracker Barrel mac n’ cheese-amazing!). She loves chocolate, animals, and has proudly completed several Netflix marathons. In her spare time she can be found hiking, reading, or curling up with a good book and her two cats, Maui and Perry Berry.